Portable safety signal



NOV. 3, 1936. GOLDBERG 2,059,996

PORTABLE SAFETY SIGNAL INVENTOR.

A/A TH/i/V 60135536 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE .3 Claims.

"This invention relates to improvements in :safety signaling devices,and has particular reference to an improved collapsible safety signal(especially adapted for use in safeguarding the public whereexcavations, public highway repair, or other work is being done.

This invention relates to an improved means for securing a sign plate inplace on a signal support which projects upwardly from a collapsiblebase.

There is at present in use, to some extent, a safety signaling devicewhich comprises a collapsible tripod that occupies very little spacewhen it is collapsed and which can be very easily and quickly changedfrom collapsed to operative position and which, when in the latterposition has an upwardly extending bar to which a sign plate can beattached.

It is the principal object of this invention to produce an improvedmeans for removably e curing a sign plate in position on a signal sup,port of the type referred to, which will hold the sign plate securely inposition against the ac- -.tion of strong winds and which will notpermit a the plate to be rotated about the base.

It is obvious that it is of great importance that the printed matterdisplayed on signs of .this character shall face in a predetermined .di-;rection so that the public will be able to read the warning displayedand therefore, if the signail is so constructed that it permits the signplate to be turned by the wind or by persons bent on mischief, it doesnot properly serve its intended function.

The above, and other objects that may become apparent as the descriptionproceeds are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement ofparts that will now be described in detail, and for this purposereference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the inventionhas been illustrated and in which Figure l is a side elevation of thesignal showing the parts in operative position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation, loooking in the direction of arrow 2 inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation showing the sign plate removed and the parts incollapsed position;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4, Fig ure 1;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5, Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a section taken on line 66, Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is a section taken on line 1--'|, Figure 6.

In the drawing reference numeral 8 designates a member which will bereferred to herein and in the claims as a base plate. The upper surfaceof the base plate is frusto-conical and has an upwardly extending axialprojection 9 provid- 5 ed with an axial opening. The under surface ofthe base plate has three pair of spaced lugs or ears Ill each of whichis perforated for the reception of a pintle I i. The pintles serve aspivots for the legs [2 of the tripod. A bar [3 is slidably 10 mounted inthe opening in the base plate and has attached to its lower end aspreader plate M, which is preferably triangular and is provided at eachof its three corners with an elongated opening I5 through each of whicha tripod leg extends. The upper end of bar I3 is provided with a socketmember I6 that serves as a stop and which has two angularly relatedcylindrical sockets I! for the reception of the ends of handles to whichwarning flags are attached.

When the parts are collapsed as shown in Figure the spreader plate ispositioned near the ends of thc legs and holds them in parallel positionand in this position the tripod takes up very little room and can beeasily transported.

By grasping socket member I6 with one hand and the base pla wi h th et ehan the bar l3 can be moved longitudinally in the opening in the supportuntil the spreader plate l4 reaches the position indicated in Figure 1,in which position it serves to hold the legs of the tripod spread sothat they will hold the bar IS in upright and substantially verticalposition,

The parts just described serve as a support for a sign plate 18 whichhas been illustrated as being a square metal plate provided along itsedges with reenforcing beads l9 and as having a diagonal strengtheningbeam 20 formed from a piece of sheet metal bent into the form of achannel and provided with flanges 21 which are secured to the sign plateby spot welding or otherwise. The channel beam has been shown asterminating a short distance from the upper and lower edges of the signplate but may extend to the edges if desired. Although the channel beamhas been shown as extending diagonally of the sign plate this is notessential as it may extend across from one side to the other but shouldpreferably extend across the center point of the sign plate as definedby the intersection of the twodiagonals.

The sign plate is secured to the assembly described above by means oftwo lugs, one of Which has been designated by numeral 22, and projectsupwardly from the support and is preferably integral with the latter.

The other lug, which has been designated by reference numeral 23, ispart of a member 24 which has an opening through which the bar l3extends and is freely slidable on this bar but held against removaltherefrom by means of the stop l6. Lug 23 projects downwardly and ispreferably positioned the same distance from the center of the bar l3 asthe upwardly projecting lug.

The lugs are of greater width than thickness and of the proper size tofit the openings in the ends of the channel beam as indicated in Figures4 and 5. When the sign plate is in position the upwardly projecting lugserves as a support for the plate by engaging the lower edge thereof andthe downwardly projecting lug byengag ing the upper edge of the plateholds it parallel to the bar and prevents it from rocking about thelower lug. By employing lugs having rectangular cross sections the plateis held from turning about the bar l3 and therefore it will alwaysremain in the position in which it is set. Although rectangular lugs aredeemed to be preferable this is not an essential because even ifcircular lugs are used there will be only a limited rotation of theplate because the bar will act as a limiting stop.

In the claims the term edge of the plate is used to designate either theend of the channel beam or the edge of the sign plate as it is evidentthat it can be reversed or the channel beam can be eliminated entirelyand spaced lugs substituted which correspond to the sides of the channelfor preventing the sign plate from slid- Bar l3 can be secured to thespreader plate in such a way that it can rotate relative thereto so asto make it possible to position the flags, supported in the sockets IT,in any position desired.

It will be seen from the above description and the accompanying drawingthat the means employed for securing the sign plate in place holds itagainst rotation about the bar and permits it to be quickly put intoposition and removed.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a foldable sign, in combination, a bar,

means for supporting the bar and holding it in upright position,comprising a base plate having an opening in which the bar is mountedfor longitudinal movement, a plurality of legs hinged at one end to theunder side of the base plate, a spreader plate secured to the lower endof the bar, said plate having an opening for each leg, means forlimiting the downward movement of the bar, comprising the spreader plateand the legs, a sign plate, means carried by the base plate for engagingthe lower edge of and supporting the sign plate, means slidably mountedon the bar for engaging the upper edge of the sign plate, and a stop forlimiting the upward movement of the slidable means, on the bar.

2. In a foldable sign, in combination, a bar, means for supporting thebar and holding it in upright position, said means comprising, a baseplate having an opening in which the bar is mounted for longitudinalmovement, a plurality of legs hinged atone end to the underside of thebase plate, a spreader plate attached to the lower end of the bar andprovided with openings through which the legs extend, means for holdingthe bar in elevated position, comprising the spreader plate and thelegs, a sign plate, means for supporting the sign plate in parallelrelation to the bar and for holding it from turning about the bar,comprising a lug projecting upwardly from the base plate, spaced fromthe bar, and a lug slidably mounted on the bar in spaced relationthereto, the lower edge of the sign plate having a portion positionedbetween the bar and the lower lug and the upper edge of the sign platehaving a portion positioned between the slidable lug and the bar.

3. In a foldable sign, in combination, a bar, a base plate having anopening in which the bar is slidably mounted and which serves to holdthe bar in upright position, a sign plate having lugengaging devices atopposite edges thereof, a lug projecting upwardly from the base platefor engagement with one lug-engaging device on the sign plate, and adownwardly projecting lug slidably mounted on the bar for engaging theother lugengaging'device on the sign plate.

NATHAN GOLDBERG.

